Collection of John McCririck's personal effects set to go under the hammer

Clothes, jewellery and cigars that belonged to legendary racing pundit John McCririck will go under the hammer at auction next month.

McCririck, who died at the age of 79 in July, was an integral part of racing coverage on ITV and Channel 4 for three decades and was renowned for his flamboyant way of dressing as well as his larger-than-life character.

The auction, which takes place at Rowley’s in Ely, Cambridgeshire on Saturday, December 9, is expected to raise between £30,000 and £50,000, and among the items are some large diamond rings, an IWC watch valued at around £5,000 and distinctive headwear.

John McCririck: renowned for his colourful personality and dress sense

Roddy Lloyd, from Rowley’s, said: "John transcended the world of racing and his flamboyant style and distinctive look endeared him to millions.

“Because of their association with him, these items have added value and I am sure many from the world of racing will want a piece of this memorabilia.”

McCririck's widow Jenny, whom he called The Booby, chose to sell some possessions at Rowley's due to concerns that thieves would target her late husband's jewellery.

Jenny said: “I only decided to sell the items because a friend asked me to go to a charity valuation day with her.

“I was surprised to hear how much they were worth and I was worried about having them stolen. We suffered a burglary some years ago and it was awful. I decided to put the rings and some other items in for auction and I’ve also donated some to Cancer Research.

Some of John McCririck's items are to go under the hammerCredit: Deep South Media

"One of the reasons John dressed as he did was to enable his cameraman high in the stands to pick him out at the tracks in the crowd. He had his clothes made; he was a big man and it was hard to find off-the-shelf clothes."

Some of McCririck’s personal effects will also be on display at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket from Friday until November 29.

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